ADMINISTRATORS called in by a North-East printing firm say they still hope to sell it as a going concern.

Managers at Silverscreen Print plc, which has factories in Newton Aycliffe and Gateshead, dismissed almost its entire workforce last week.

The 147 staff were sent home last Monday and most have now been made redundant.

PricewaterhouseCoopers were called in by the firm's bankers to assess the situation.

They were appointed administrative receivers to a business where production had already stopped, making a sale more difficult.

Customers who urgently needed supplies have been helped over the last week and support has been given. Some staff have been brought back in to help in the process.

An advert has been drawn up to see if anyone is interested in buying the business and some inquiries have been received.

Roger Marsh, joint administrative receiver, said: "Prior to our appointment, the vast majority of the workforce had been dismissed and work is ongoing with a skeleton staff to fulfil some individual customers' demands where we can.

"While there have been some expressions of interest in the facility, it's still early days and we're neither optimistic nor pessimistic."

If the business is sold as a going concern then it is hoped that some former staff could be re-employed.

Silverscreen, which had a turnover of £8m in 1999, moved into a large plant on Gateshead's Team Valley Estate just two years ago and has had a site at Newton Aycliffe since 1988